THE ROLE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATORY GIS IN RURAL WATER RESOURCES MAPPING

摘要

This paper presents the use of Public Participatory GISrn(PPGIS) which enables better appreciation of waterrnresource management at the community level based onrntwo case studies conducted in Northern Ghana. The casernstudies were aimed at enhancing water resourcernmanagement for irrigation purposes through participatoryrnmeans. Emphasis was played on letting communityrnmembers understand how to monitor water coverage inrnthe reservoir using PPGIS. Selected community membersrnwere engaged in mapping the spatial extents of thernreservoir and the existing gardens or farms around thernreservoir. These points were overlaid on satellite imagesrnfor them to understand the temporal variation of the waterrnlevels. The satellite images, which captured the extent ofrnthe water in the reservoir, served as bases to appreciaternthe level of reduction or increase in the water coverage inrnthe reservoir. The overlay shows that in bothrncommunities, there was a reduction in the spatial extent ofrnthe water in the reservoir. In Kokoligu, the situation wasrnattributed to human activities such as farming close to thernreservoir, and situating gardens within the reservoir whilernin Vea it was attributed to weather conditions such as lowrnrainfall amounts and intense sunshine which facilitatedrnevaporation. In Kokoligu, people farm within hundredrnmetres from the edge of the reservoir. It was observed thatrnsome gardens were situated in the dry parts of thernreservoir so as to have easy access to the water in thernreservoir or dugouts. Field observations also revealed thatrnthe surrounding land cover of the reservoir was barernespecially at Kokoligu. Though the farmers were aware ofrnthe reduction of the level of the water in the reservoir, itrnwas difficult to appreciate the extent of the reduction. Thernoverlay of the GPS coordinates and the images helpedrnthem visualised the extent. The involvement of ruralrncommunities helped professionals to learn indigenousrnwater conservation methods such as mulching, applicationrnof manure and continues loosen the soil. This paperrntherefore has demonstrated that PPGIS is rendering bothrncommunities and professionals an integrated learningrnenvironment for both indigenous communities andrnprofessionals to share their knowledge, and build GISrndatabases that have meaningful impact for resourcernmanagement, use and development.